The Image Of God

Genesis 1:26:And God said,Let us make man in our image,after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Since we are created in the image of God we are multi-dimensional. Our image in a mirror is one-dimensional. God is infinitely multi-dimensional. Compared with God we are almost one-dimensional. An image in a mirror is a very shallow thing compared with what it can reflect. We could compare ourselves with a water pistol that can*t shoot very far. God has the power to flood huge areas of the earth as deep as he chooses. He created oceans. He has an unlimited supply of water. He had enough to flood the whole earth. True knowledge of God will always put us in awe of Him and make us humble before Him.

We are so little when compared with Him. Everything we have is little by comparison. Everything we can do is little by comparison. Everything we can think is little by comparison. Our powers are weak by comparison. It is so strange that we little things can have so much pride, that we can become so impressed with ourselves. The majority of mankind actually put themselves above God. They think that the image is greater than the thing it reflects. It is a little like my image in a mirror thinking it is greater than me. It is a little like my shadow thinking it is greater than me.

Our image in a mirror can be distorted by a poor quality mirror or a dirty mirror. Our likeness to God is distorted by our sin. Our likeness to God can be distorted by looking into a faulty mirror. When we admire or emulate ungodly people we are in a sense looking at them. We become like them. When we are looking at Christ we become like Him.

1 John 3:2:Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

A few years ago when the fads of men wearing earrings and having tattoos were beginning, a teenage Christian in the church I attended followed the fads. A very wise elder in the church asked him a simple question: Who are you trying to be like? When we follow fads we are not trying to be like Christ, we are trying to be like someone who is unworthy of emulation. We are trying to be like something so little. When we see other humans as impressive we often make a big mistake. God is the impressive one. The humans that ought to impress us are the ones who are the most Godly. We need to have a high goal. We need to ask ourselves who we are trying to be like.

I used to speak about the things of God a great deal with a young Christian woman that I worked with. She once paid me the most wonderful compliment. She said when I spoke to her it was like God was talking.

We ought to respect the image of God within us. But we must not misuse it. It might be the only picture of God that some people see. We must know that the wrong image can be harmful. If we exhibit the wrong image of God it drives people away from Him. The false image of God given by carnal Christians can drive people away from the Lord.

When I misbehaved as a child I brought shame to my parents. When I misbehave as an adult I bring shame to my father. When I sin I bring shame to my Saviour. During the time when a couple of TV evangelists fell into sin Billy Graham was asked about his greatest concern here on earth as he neared the completion of his ministry. He replied: I don*t want to cause Him (Jesus) shame. Is that your concern? Is it my concern? Are we careful not to dirty up the image of God in us?